Elevator freight car



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ELEVATOR FREIGHT CAR Filed April 23, 1954 l0 Sheets-Sheet l0 ELEVATORFREIGHT CAR Jack E. Gutridge, Munster, Ind., and William E. Grbnitz,Jr., Chicago, Ill., assgnors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Application April Z3', 1954, Serial No. 425,136

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-368) This invention relatesto elevator type freightcars for carrying vehicles,` such as truck trailers, and is primarilyconcerned' with mechanismV for the elevators.

Some truck trailers have a height so great that when loaded onr arailway freight car they will not clear railroad underpasses, `sothatprovision must bel made for clearance between the trailer and theunderpass. This is accomplished by providing the oor and underframe ofthe car'with elevators which may be lowered from a position ilush withthe Hoor ofthe car. The rear wheels of theV trailer are locatedV onv theelevators and the front end of the trailer rests uponv a verticallyvadjustable stand mounted on the floor of the car so that the trailer isloweredl relative to the car and the necessary clearance established sothat the trailer will' clear railroad under'- passes.

The invention proposes an elevator type` flat car for carrying trucktrailers. The car has awell in its floor and underframe in which a;platform is horizontally disposed. A cylinder is positioned in the welland is pivotally connected tothe car with a piston disposedin thecylinder and connected to the center of the platform. Means are providedbetween each end ofthe platform and the center of theplatform','c'omprised of a pair of vertically disposed racks positionedin the well and secured to theI car and another pair of verticallydisposed racks depending from' and secured to the platform. A pair ofhorizontally disposed tubes are positioned inthe Well and a" gear wheeli's tixedly secured on each. end of each tubemeshing with one of theracks on the `car and one of the racks on the platform. The racks andgear wheels and tubes. together prevent rotational movement of theplatform about a horizontal axis extending-transverselyrof the car.Interengaging means are provided on each end of the platform and on theadjacent bounding wall' ofthe well to prevent rotational movement of the`platform about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the car.

The invention furtherproposes an underframe for a railway freight. caradapted to carry truck trailers.` The underfrarne comprises a centersill positioned longitudinally ofthe `car and extending the fulllengthof the car. Each side sill is comprised of a pair of endy sections and acenter section, with the end sections on the same levely asthe centersill and the center section belovv'the level of the end sections. A.cross member having the same depth as the center sill is positionedbetween each side' sillr end section and the side silll center sectionand extends from the side sill to4 thev lcenter sill. Other crossmembersextend between thesidev sill end sections and the center sill andthese'cross members are disposed'belowthe center sill. Stringers on thesame level as the center sill extend between each ofthe iirst-namedcross members andthe adjacent' bolsterand are disposed upon thesecond-named cross members. vA pl-urality of horizontally disposed beamshaving a depth not greater than "arent O l 1 car.

2,91 0,015 Patented' Oct. 27,1959A the` side sill center section extendbetween the center rsection and the center sill. f'

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved type ofmechanism for the elevators of an elevator type freight car.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for maintaining anelevator in a horizontal position d'url ing loading or unloading orduring transportation of a truck trailer.

Another object of the invention is to provide meansattained by theconstruction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein? Y@ Figs. l, 2 and 3 lare complemental plan views ofthe 'majorportion'of a railway at car for carrying truck trailers; y

Figs. 4, 5 and 6. are complemental side'elevational views of the carshown in Figs. l to 3, with two truck trailers being shown loaded onthecar;`

Figs. 7 and 8 are complemental plan views of one the elevators and th'ejadjacent portion of the car;

Figs. 9 andl l0 are longitudinal `sectional'views through the elevatorand theV adjacent portion of the car takenon the lines 9'-9 and 1li-10of Figs. 7 and 8 respectively. Fig. 1l` is a cross sectional View takenon the line 11--111 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l2 is a cross sectional View taken! on the rline 12-12 of Fig. ,8;A y

Fig. 1'3' is a View similar to Fig. `l2, but with the elevator shown ina position ilushl with the oor of the car;

Pig. 14

.is a cross sectional view taken on the line lrit-14 of Fig. 7;,

Fig. l5 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 15-1'5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of Fig. 10; and lFig. 17 is a bottom View of one of the elevators showingitsconstruction.

In the drawings, 10 generally designates a railway llat car adapted tocarry two truck trailers 11 and 12. The `underframe has a sh belly typecenter sill made up. of a pair of spaced I-beams 13 extending fulllength of the a dropped center section'lS and all three sections are-ofchannel form. A spacer 16 is disposed under each end section 14 oftheside sill adjacent the center sectionlS and is welded to the respectiveend section, andA agusset 17 extends between the respective end of thecenter sectionand the adjacent spacer and is welded to the centersection and the spacer. The underframe has the usual end sills 18,double web holsters 19,`and I-shaped stringers 2.0 extending between andwelded to the end sill and the adjacent web of the bolster. Asubstantially rectangular plate 21 having the same depth as the centersill Each'side sill consists of two end sections 14 and A horizontallydisposed support or angle 22 is welded to each plate 21. Cross members23 are arranged in spaced relation between t-he plates 21 and thebolsters 19 and each cross member consists of a vertical plate and anangle welded to the plate'along its top edge-and an angle welded to theplate along its bottom edge,

Each cross member has its top edge horizontal and spaced below the topsof the center sill I-beam 13. Each cross member 23 extends between theside sill end section 14 and the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 andrests upon4 the outer flange of the beam and the lower ange of the endsection and is welded to the beam and the end section. A plurality ofI-shaped stringers 24 have Ytheirjtops on the same level as the topsofthe center sill I-beams 13 and extend between each` plate 21 and theadjacent web of the adjacent bolster; 19. The stringers are disposedupon the horizontal ange of the angles 22 and upon the cross members 23and are welded to the plates and angles and cross members and to theadjacent web of the bolster. The tops of the end sections 14 are on thesame level as the tops of the center sill I-beams 13 and the top of thecenter section is disposed below the level of the tops of the endsections and the center section has a depth less than the depth of thecenter sill I-beams.` A holding device 25 is positioned midway betweenthe plates 21 and extends across the width of the car and is xedlysecured to the underframe. Midway between the holding device 25 and theplates 21 on the left side of the holding device as viewed in thedrawings, a pair of beams 26 I-shaped in cross section extend betweenthe center section 15 of the side sill and the adjacent center sillI-beam 13. The beams 26 are disposed upon the lower flange of the centerside sill section 15 and upon the lower outer flange of the adjacentcenter sill I-beam 13 and are welded to the center section and thecenter sillI-beam. Between the beams 26 and the plates 21, ahorizontally disposed I-shaped beam 27 extends from the center section15 to the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and is disposed upon'the lowerouter ange of the center sill I-beam and is welded to the center sectionand the center sill I-beam. Other beams 26 and 27 are disposed oppositeand aligned with the beams just discussed and secured in a similarmanner. Midway between the holding device 25 and the plates 21 on theright side of the holding device, still other beams 26 and 27 aredisposed similarly to thebeams 26 and 27 on the left side of the holdingdevice. All Vof 'the beams 26 and 27 have a depth not greater than, andas illustrated in the drawings a depth less than, the depth of thecenter 7 sectionY 15 of the side sill. A plurality of metal floor sheets28, more specifically seven oor sheets, are used for the flooring of thecar. Since thefholding device 25 extends across the car, four wells aredefined by'plates 21, side sill center sections 15, holding device 25;and 'center sill 13. f

A platform 29 is positioned in each well and is'adapted for verticalmovement beween a position liush with the -floor of the car and aposition below the oor of the car. Three longitudinally aligned doorsheets 28 are positioned Von the I-beams 13 with two of these floorsheets extendingVv from the end sills tothe adjacent platforms 29 whilethe third floor sheet occupies the spa'ce between the platforms. Twoother iioor sheets 28 extend from the adjacent platforms 29 to theadjacent end'sill and two more` floor sheets extend from the adjacentplatforms to the other end sill. The floor sheets 28 on the I-beams 13are spaced from the platforms 29 and from the other floor sheets toprovide a pair of longitudinally extending slotson opposite sides of thebeams extending full length der 32 is positioned in the well and a ring33v extends around the cylinder adjacent its lower end and is welded tothe cylinder. The ring 33 has opposing studs which project into theapertures in the blocks 31 thus pivotally connecting the lower end ofthe cylinder to the car. The cylinder 32 has an opening 34 in its lowerend in communication with the interior of the cylinder and a source offluid under pressure is adapted to be connected to the opening. A piston35 is disposed in the cylinder 32 with its upper end projecting abovethe upper end of the cylinder through the sealing means 36. 'Ihe upperend of of the piston 35 is rounded and a bearing 37 having a sphericalrecess 38 in its lower face is positioned on the upper end of thepiston. A bolt loosely extends through the bearing and is in threadedengagement with a threaded opening in the upper end of the piston. Theplatform 29 is comprised of an inverted U-shaped plate 39 consisting ofa base and a pair of anges integral with the base. A pair of spacedparallel I-shaped beams 40 extend longitudinally of and are welded tothe base of the plate. A channel 41 is postioned horizontally at eachend of the plate 39 with the ends of the beams 40 welded thereto andextends transversely of the plate and is welded to the base of theplate, the end positions of the channels 41 outwardly of the beams 40being cut away as best shown `in Figs. 12 and 13 for clearance. Spacedhorizontal braces 42 extend between the beams 40 and are welded to thebeams and the plate 39, and spaced diagonal braces 43 extend betweeneach beam 40 and the adjacent ange on the plate 39 and are welded to therespective beams and flange. The bearing 37 is disposed at the center ofthe platform 29 and is welded to the upper inner flanges of the beams40.

Means are provided between each end of the platform 29 and the center ofthe platform for maintaining the platform in a horizontal position. Averticallly disposed plate 44 is positioned at each beam 27 and has thesame depth as the beam and extends from the center section 15 of theside sill to the adjacent center sill I-beam 13 and is welded to thebeam 27 and the beam 13. A pair of vertically disposed channels 45 havetheir flanges welded to each other so as to form a box section and thisbox section is welded tothe plate 44. The channels 45 extend from thebottom` of the adjacent beam 27 to a location slightly above-the centersection 15 of the side sill. A pairjofvertically disposed racks 46 arebolted to the webs of the channels 45 to secure the racks to the car. Apair of vertically disposed I-beams 47 are disposed opposite the racks46 and the upper ends of these beams are welded to the beams 40 on theplatform 29 and a plate 48 having an opening 49 through which thechannels 45 and the racks 46 can pass is welded to the lower ends Vofthebeams. Another pair of vertically disposed racks 50 arranged inopposition to the racks 46 are bolted to the webs of the I-beams 47being thus secured to the platform 29. A pair of horizontally disposedmembers or tubes 51 are longitudinally positioned in each of the wellson opposite sides of the cylinder 32 and a gear wheel 52 is fixedlysecured on each end of each tube. Each gear wheel 52 is adapted to meshwith the adjacent one of the racks 46 on the car and the adjacent one ofthe racks 50 on the platform 29. The racks 46 and 50 and gear wheels 52and tubes 51 prevent rotational or tilting movement of the platform 29about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the car and if thisrotational movement could take place it would be at the pivot point ofthe cylinder 32 at the ring 33 or between the upper end of the piston 35and the bearing 37 or both.

A vertically disposed channel 53 is disposed on one face of the plate 21and a vertically disposed rib 54 is disposed onthe other face of theplate and both the channelA and the rib extend from the bottom of theplate to the door of the car and bolts extend through the rib and theplate and the channel thus securing the rib and the climi-1.19 the Car-Anotheryertically disposed channel 55 has its upper end welded to thechannel 41 at the end of the platform and gussets are welded to thechannel 55 and the beams 40 on the platform 29. A vertically disposedbar 56 has a vertically extending guideway 57 therein and the bar isbolted to the channel 41 and the channel 55. The rib 54 and the bar 56form an interengaging means on the end of the platform 29 and on theadjacent bounding Wall of the well to prevent rotational or tiltingmovement of the platform about a horizontal axis extendinglongitudinally of the car, which movement would tend to be about theupper end of the piston 3S and the bearing 37. This interengaging meansis provided at each end of each platform 29. A single set of controlsand a single pump, which are not shown but may be of any suitable type,are used for all four platforms 29. Actuation of the controls in onedirection will raise or lower the two platforms 29 under one trailer atthe same time and actuation of the controls in the opposite directionwill raise or lower the other two platforms under the other trailer atthe same time.

To load a trailer 11 on the ilat car, the platforms 29 are disposed in aposition flush with the floor of the car and a turntable 58 is pivotallymounted at its center on one of the platforms. A lift truck backs thetrailer 11 diagonally onto the car so that the rear wheels on one sideof the trailer roll onto the turntable 5S. The lift n it longitudinallyof the car until the rear end of the trailer is close to the holdingdevice 25. The platforms 29 are then lowered resulting in the loweringof the rear end of the trailer 11. Lowering of the platforms 29 iscontinued until a channel 59 on the rear end of the trailer 11 isopposite the projections 60 on the holding device 25. The lift truckthen backs the trailery 11 onto the projections 60 on the holding device25. A fifth wheel stand 61 is mounted on the floor of the car and isslidable longitudinally of the car and is vertically adjustable. Thestand 61 is slid until it is under the fth wheel pin of the trailer 11and then it is adjusted vertically so that the trailer will be levelduring its transportation on the car. Then the lift truck lowers thefront edge of the trailer 11 onto the stand 61 to complete the loadingof thev trailer on t-he car. To unload the trailer 11 from the car thefro-nt end of the trailer is lifted olf the fifth wheel stand 61 by alift truck and the lift truck then pulls the trailer forward so that thechannels S9 on the trailer are movedoif the projections 60 on theholding device 25. The two platforms 29 under the trailer 11 are thenraised to a position flush with the floor of the car. 'Ihe lift truckthen swings the front end of the trailer 11 off the car with the rearwheels at one side of the trailer pivoting with the turntable 58 and therear wheels at the other side of the trailer rolling on the oor of thecar. The lift truck then pulls the rear end of the trailer 11 olf thecar. The trailer 12 is loaded on and unloaded from the car in a similarmanner.

The distance from the rear end of a trailer to its rear wheels varieswith different trailers, therefore the rear wheels of a trailer will notbe bearing upon the center of the platforms 29 and there will be amovement about the center of the platform when the trailer wheels arelocated at one end of the platform as shown in Fig. 5. It would bepossible to support each platform by a plurality of piston and cylinderassemblies; however, this would mean that a greater amount of liquidwould have to be carried under the car and such a large number ofcontrols would be required that raising and lowering o-f the platformswould be a tedious and time-consuming operation and there might not beenough space under the car in which to store the liquid and carry thecontrols since the amount of available space is limited by brakes,trucks, and

G other equipment.A To solve this problem, applicant has provided asingle piston and cylinder assembly at the center of each platform and asingle set of controls and a single pump for all four platforms, whichmeans that the car will have to carry only a small amount of liquid forall of the cylinders and the liquid can be stored in, and the pump andcontrols can be disposed in, a small amount of space under the car. Whenthe trailer is loaded on the car its rear wheels will not be at thecenter of the platforms and will cause -a downward force to be exertedo-n one side of the center of the platform. This force will betransmitted to the racks 50 dependingfrom the platform 29 between thecenter and one end of the platform and this will tend to cause the gearwheels 52 to turn and the torque on the gear Wheels will be transmitted`to the tubes 51. The tubes 51 are elastic and will twist and this twistwill be transmitted to the gear Wheels at the opposite ends of the tubesand the gear wheels willl urge the adjacent end of the platform 29downwardly. In other words, la' downward force on one side of the centerof thejplatform 29 Will be transmitted through the tubes Eiland cause adownward pull to be exerted on the platform on the other side of itscenter.

For the reason that the rear wheels of the trailer will not be on theexact center laterally of the platform 29 the wheels will cause a forceto be exerted on the platform about its longitudinal axis orabout anaxis extending longitudinally of the car. The ribs 54 on the ends of theplatform 29 sliding in the guideways 57 of the bars 56 on the car willprevent any rotational or tilting movement of the platform 29 about anaxis extending longitudinally of the car. It is important that theplatforms 29 be kept in a horizontal plane, since tilting movement ofthe platform would cause unnecessary forces to be exerted on theprojections 60 of the holding device 25 and upon the fifth wheel stand61 and forces upon the fifth wheel stand might cause 4the fifth wheelpin on the trailerto be detached from the trailer. The U-shaped plate39, l-beams 4t), channels 41, braces 42, yand braces 43 together form aplatform 29 of great strength which Will support the largest of trucktrailers whether they be loaded or unloaded.

The underframe construction provides four wells, and when the platforms29 are in their lowermost positions the beams 49 on the platform restupon the beams 27 of the underframe and when in this position theplatform is spaced from the beams 26 of the underframe. The beams 27 arereinforced by the gussets 62 which are welded to the adjacent centersill I-beam 13 and the respective one of the beams 27. The beams 26extend between the upper and lower outer flanges of the adjacent centersill I-beam 13 and they decrease in depth for a short distance and underthe platform 29 and on to the center section 15 of the side sill theyare of substantially constant depth.

A plurality ofxspaced vertical tie plates 63 extend between and arewelded to the I-beams 13 (Fig. ll). The center sill I-beams 13, crossmembers 23, stringers 24, rectangular-shaped plates 21, beams 26, andbeams 27 all cooperate together to provide an underframe of greatstrength particularly adapted to canry truck trailers. The underframemay be of the type having a stationary center sill, in which case thel-beams -13 will function -as the stationary center sill. The underframemay instead be of the type having a sliding'center sill, in which case asliding center sill 64 would be inserted between l-beams 13 and wouldslide upon the vertical tie plates 63, as shown in Fig. ll. Y

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided meansfor preventing rotational or tilting movement of the elevator about ahorizontal axis extending transversely of the car or about a horizontalaxis extendinglongitudinally of the car, as well as an elevator of novelconstruction and an underframe of novel construction particularlyadapted to carry trailers,

What is claimed is:

In a railway car, an underframe and a oor provided with a well, avertically disposed cylinder positioned in the well and having its lowerend connected to the car, a piston disposed in the cylinder, ahorizontally disposed platform positioned longitudinally of the car inthe well and secured at its center to the upper end of the piston andmovable between a position flush with the floor and a position below thefloor, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder to raiseand lower the piston whereby the platform may be moved betweenthe'position ush with the door and the position below the oor, meansbetween each end of the platform and the center of the platformcomprising a trst pair of vertically disposed rack structures disposedback to back in the well and secured to the car and a pair of verticallydisposed racks depending from and secured to the platform disposed inopposed relation to the respective rack structures, a pair ofhorizontally disposed shafts positioned in the well extendinglongitudinally of the car on opposite sides of the cylinder and betweeneach of said rack structures and the respectively opposed rack, a gearwheel tixedly secured on each end of each shaft adapted to mesh with theadjacent one of the racks on 4the car and the adjacent one of the rackson the platform whereby to prevent roftational movement 0f the platformabout a horizontal axis extending transversely of the car, andinterengaging vertical guide means on each end of the platform and onthe adjacent bounding wall of the well to prevent rotational movement ofthe platform about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of thecar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 93,995Huntington Aug. 24, 1869 1,350,087 Trapp Aug. 17, 1920 2,047,503 Wilsonet al. July 14, 1936 2,121,181 Bayerl June 21, 1938 2,246,543 Smith June24, 1941 2,489,024 Gaynor Nov. 22, 1949 2,585,126 Holland Feb. 12, 19522,605,064 Davis July 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 671,064 Germany Jan. 30,1939 du. M.

